Common names:
All Euscorpius were previously placed in the family Chactidae.

Distribution:
Africa (Algeria, Tunisia), Europe (France, Italy, Spain). Introduced to Great Britain and Uruguay (South America).

Habitat:
Warm, temperate climate in South-Western Europe. It is found in different habitats (in gardens, under stones, in houses, in old walls).
The species in not uncommon in human habitations. In Great Britain, the scorpion occupies cracks and holes in walls where the mortar pointing has crumbled away. Data on natural habitats in Southern Europe wanted!

Venom:
Few medical data available, but data from Italy suggest local effects only. Mildly venomous. Harmless scorpion, which rarely will use its stinger. According to Dr. Tim Benton, the sting is less than a pin-prick to humans.

Selected litterature:
Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. (1958). "Notes on arachnida, 30: Scorpions in England." Ent. Mon. Mag., vol. 94, p. 229.
Wanless, F.R. (1977). On the occurrence of the scorpion Euscorpius flavicaudis (Degeer) at Sheerness Port, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Bull. Br. arachnol. Soc., vol. 4 (2), pp. 74-76
Hawkins, K.M. (1982). Another record of Euscorpius flavicaudis (De Geer) in Essex. Newsl. Br. arachnol. Soc., vol. 34, pp. 6-7.
Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. and C. Constantinou (1983). "How does the scorpion Euscorpius flavicaudis (Deg.) manage to survive in Britain." Int. J. Biometeor., vol. 27(2), pp. 87-92.
Carricaburu, P. and Munoz-Cuevas, A. (1986). Spontaneous electrical activity of the subesophageal ganglion and circadian rhythms in scorpions. Experimental Biology (Berlin), vol. 45(4), pp. 301-310.
Ugolini, A et al. (1986). Mother-young relationship in Euscorpius: Adaptive value of the larval permanence on the mother's back (Scorpiones, Chactidae). J. Arachnol., vol. 14(1), pp. 43-46.
Torregiani, F. & C. La Cavera (1990). Puntura di scorpione (Euscorpius, sp.) in Italia e rassegna dello scorpionismo [Scorpion sting (Euscorpius, sp.) in Italy and scorpionism review.] Minerva Medica, vol. 81 (suppl. 2), pp. 137-145.
Benton, T. G. (1991). "The life history of Euscorpius flavicaudis (Scorpiones, Chactidae)." The Journal of Arachnology, vol.19, pp. 105-110.
Benton, T. G. (1991). "Reproduction and parental care in the scorpion Euscorpius flavicaudis." Behaviour, vol. 117, pp. 20-25.
Benton, T. G. (1992). "Determinants of male mating success in a scorpion." Animal behavior, vol. 43, pp. 125-135.
Benton, T. G. (1992). "The ecology of the scorpion Euscorpius flavicaudis in England." J. Zool. London, vol. 226(3), pp. 351-368.
Benton, T. G. (1992). "Scorpions in a cold climate." New Scientist, vol. 134(1821). p. 15.
Benton, T. G. (1993). The reproductive ecology of Euscorpius flavicaudis in England. Memoirs-of-the-Queensland-Museum, vol. 33 (2), pp. 455-460.
Benton, T.G. (1993). Courtship behaviour of the scorpion, Euscorpius flavicaudis. Bull. Br. arachnol. Soc., vol. 9 (5), pp. 137-141.
Crucitti, P. (1993). Distribution and diversity of Italian scorpions. REDIA, vol. LXXVI (2), pp. 281-300.
Toscano-Gadea, C.A. (1998). Euscorpius flavicaudis (Degeer, 1778) in Uruguay: First Record from the New World. Newsl. Br. arachnol. Soc., vol. 81, p. 6.

On the Internet:
Online identification key for Euscorpius
European scorpions (Dr. Benjamin Gantenbein).
Euscorpius flavicaudis - a swedish scorpion? Article in swedish.
French article on E. flavicaudis

General:
This species is a small black scorpion with yellow-brown legs and sting (telson). Adults measure 35-45 mm. It is a typical fossorial scorpion with large, strong pedipalps, a stout body, short legs and a short, thin tail (metasoma). See the Euscorpius identification key for more details.

This species is kept in captivity (especially in Europe), but not as coomon as should be espected from a "native" scorpion. Few commersial suppliers deliver this species (and other Euscorpius).

Euscorpius flavicaudis photo by Jan Ove Rein (C)